The present invention relates to a vibratory pile driver. More particularly, it relates to the provision of (1) a pile driver that is adapted to be suspended from the boom of an excavator, or some other overhead supporting device, (2) a pile driving machine that includes a mobile base, a boom connected to and extending from the mobile base, (3) a vibrator assembly that is suspended from the boom, and (4) a pile driving method.
Known boom supported devices for driving pipe piling and/or other piling are disclosed by: U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,925, granted Jun. 2, 1992, to John L. White; by U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,544, granted Nov. 23, 1993, to John L. White; by U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,979, granted Aug. 13, 1996 to John L. White; by U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,997, granted Oct. 29, 1996, to Yrjxc3x6 Raunisto; by U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,380, granted Mar. 11, 1997, to John L. White; by U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,556, granted Aug. 5, 1997 to John L. White and by European Patent Publication No. 0 496 167 A1, published Jul. 29, 1992, filed by Kencho Kobe Co., Ltd., the applicant.
There is a need for an improved vibratory pile driver that is relatively simple and easy to operate but yet is effective to drive pipe pilings. There is also a need for a boom supported pile driver that is adapted to easily and quickly pick up a pipe piling, e.g. from a stack on the ground, by a simple lifting of a boom to raise the pipe piling up into a substantially vertical position so that it can be driven into the ground. There is a further need for a pipe piling driving method that provides for quick, easy and simple handling of the pipe piling both before and during the driving operation. It is an object of the present invention to fulfill these needs. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a quick and easy way of coupling the pile driving mechanism to a pipe piling, and then decoupling the mechanism from the pipe piling after the pipe piling has been driven into the ground. Still yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved way of transmitting energy from a vibrator to pipe piling through coupler components that couple the pipe piling to a housing portion of the vibrator.
A vibratory pile driver of the present is characterized by a vibrator having an upper portion that is adapted to be connected to a supporting structure that is above the vibrator, and a lower portion. The lower portion of the vibrator includes a chuck assembly that is adapted to be connected to the pipe piling. The chuck assembly includes a coupler or pair of horizontally disposed linear hydraulic actuator. Each actuator comprises a fixed outer end portion and a retractable/extendable/rotatable inner end portion. The chuck assembly also includes pile-engaging clamps at the inner ends of the actuators. The clamps confront each other and are adapted to receive a piling between them. The actuators are adapted to the retracted to move the clamps apart and provide between them a piling receiving space. The actuators can be extended to move the clamps towards each other and into clamping engagement with a piling that has been placed in the space, between the clamps.
According to another aspect of the invention, the vibrator includes a vibrator frame and an elongated first coupler member that has a lower end that is secured to an upper central portion of the vibrator frame. The first coupler member extends upwardly from its connection to the vibrator frame. An elongated second coupler member has an upper end that is adapted to be connected to a supporting structure that is above the vibrator. One of the coupler members is tubular and the other extends inside of it, in telescopic fashion. The tubular coupler member includes a sidewall and at least one longitudinal slot in the sidewall that is closed at both ends. A pin extends laterally of the two coupler members, through the slot in the sidewall of the tubular coupler member, and having an inner end that is connected to the other coupler member.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the chuck assembly or coupler includes chuck frame structure and a pair of horizontal, co-axial, tubular trunnions mounted on the chuck frame structure below the vibrator, for rotation about a horizontal axis. The actuators are inside of the tubular trunnions. The fixed outer end portions of the actuators are connected to the frame structure. The inner end portions of the actuators are connected to the tubular trunnions. In preferred form, the chuck frame structure includes a pair of tubular housings in which the tubular trunnions are received, and further includes a tubular bearing positioned radially between each trunnion and its housing.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the frame structure may include a downwardly opening cup that is above and between the two piling-engaging clamps. The cup is adapted to receive an upper end portion of a piling that is positioned between the two clamps.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a pile driving machine is provided that includes a mobile base. A boom is provided that has a first end that is connected to the mobile base and a second end that is spaced from the mobile base. The boom is movable relative to the base and the second end of the boom is movable up and down. The pile driving machine further comprises a vibratory pile driver having a vibrator that includes an upper end that is connected to the boom at the second end of the boom, and further has a lower portion that includes a chuck assembly is connected to the lower portion of the vibrator. The chuck assembly includes a pair of horizontally disposed linear hydraulic actuators. Each actuator comprises a fixed outer end portion and a retractable/extendable/rotatable inner end. A pair of piling engaging clamps are connected to the inner end portions of the actuators. The clamps confront each other and are adapted to receive a piling between them. The actuators are retractable to move the clamps apart and provide between them a piling receiving space. They are extendable to move the clamps towards each other and into clamping engagement with a piling that has been placed in the space between the clamps.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the vibrating pile driving attachment is suspended from an outer end portion of a boom but at a location that is inwardly of a bucket or other material handler that is at the extreme end of the boom. This enables the boom to be manipulated for the purpose of positioning the pipe driving attachment and a piling connected thereto, and then be used during the pile driving operation, without a need to remove the bucket or other device from the boom. The bucket is present so that it can be used during the pile driving operation, either for moving material or for supporting the end of the boom during a repositioning of the mobile base on which the boom is supported.
According to still a further aspect of the invention, a pile driving method is provided that includes the step of providing an elongated piling having first and second ends. A pile driver is provided that has a vibrator and laterally spaced apart clamp jaws below the vibrator. The clamp jaws are positioned as to define between them a space for receiving the first end of the piling. The vibrator is then moved to place the first end of the piling between the clamp jaws. Next, the clamp jaws are moved together into a clamping engagement with the first end of the piling. Then, the vibrator and clamp jaws are lifted so as to lift the piling up into a substantially vertical position. The second end of the piling placed on the ground. The vibrator and the clamp jaws are held in a position that maintains the piling in a substantially vertical position. Then, the vibrator is operated to apply a vibration force on the upper end of the piling so as to drive the piling downwardly into the ground. The vibrator and the clamp jaws are lowered as the piling moves downwardly into the ground. The clamp jaws are moved together into a clamping engagement with the first end of the piling when the piling is in a position other than a vertical position, e.g. a horizontal position. The clamp jaws are rotated as the vibrator and the clamp jaws are lifted. The weight of the piling causes the clamp jaws to rotate and follow movement of the piling from its initial position up into a substantially vertical position.
In preferred form, the clamps are provided with a pair of horizontal hydraulic actuators. Each hydraulic actuator has a fixed component and a movable component. The clamp jaws are secured to the movable components. The movable components of the actuators are retracted to move the clamp jaws apart and provide space between them for receiving the first end of the piling. Then, the movable components of the actuators are extended to move the clamp jaws towards each other and into clamping engagement with the piling. In preferred form, the actuators are supported for rotation in response to a force being applied to the clamp jaws that would prompt them to rotate.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the weight of a piling is used to apply a force on the clamping jaws that causes the clamping jaws to rotate in position. The clamping jaws are clamped onto a first end of a piling when the piling is in a position other than a vertical position. For example, it may be lying substantially flat on the ground. The clamping jaws are lifted. In response to their upward movement, and further in response to a force being applied on them by the piling, the clamp jaws will rotate as the piling moves from its initial position into a substantially vertical position.